Joey nervously got out of the car and looked up at the window that she knew was Marissa's bedroom, sighing deeply and wondering how she'd gotten herself in this horrible position and if Marissa was what she wanted now. Was she still in love with Rayne? Not that it would do her any good because Rayne was into Jennifer now, that was plainly obvious to anyone with eyes. Her mind drifted away from the painful thoughts of Rayne and the way she ended things with the girl and to how things had ended with Cori...

"Joey?"

"Huh?" Joey asked as she snapped back to reality and saw Logan standing by her.

"What's up?" Logan asked. "You were lost to the world. Thinking about you and Marissa?"

"My life as a whole really," Joey said. "How is Marissa?"

"Back to her old self," Logan said. "You really hurt her."

"I didn't mean to and she won't let me explain," Joey said.

"You said you still loved your ex?" Logan asked.

"I did and somewhere deep down I think it's true," Joey said. "But I still love Shady too, and Cori, so what's the big deal?"

"You've had more girlfriends than me," Logan said as Joey laughed.

"I love those damsels in distress don't you know?" Joey asked.

"Rayne was on drugs, Shady was screwed up, Cori was messed up in that accident and Marissa was raped," Logan said. "They all needed you."

"It's true," Joey said as the front door to the Turner house opened and out came Marissa, looking like her old self, tons of make up and skin tight clothes. Prancing down the sidewalk like the old days Joey noted. A sour look came over Logan's face as he walked to meet his sister.

"Morning Loggie, what are you doing here, Joey?" Marissa asked in a bitter tone.

"I came to see Marissa but I see she's gone and make-up Barbie has taken her place," Joey said. Marissa glared at her.

"She is not make-up Barbie," Logan said. Marissa grinned smugly. "She's on her way to work the corner."

"Fuck you," Marissa said to her brother. "I happen to think I look fantastic."

"Whatever," Logan said as he walked off, disappearing into the house a few moments later.

"Why the hell you have to put this crap on your face for?" Joey asked as she purposely smeared Marissa's make up with her hand. Marissa gasped in shock and reached for her mirror to check her make-up when Joey purposely slapped it away.

"STOP!" Marissa said as she stepped back and almost tumbled to the grass when one of her high heels caught on a crack in the sidewalk. Joey caught her by the wrists and pulled her back up. The pain in Marissa's eyes was so intense that it literally took Joey's breath away. "Let me go."

"I'm sorry for what happened."

"GO TO HELL JOEY LARUE!" Marissa screamed as she fought to get lose but felt Joey latch on to her wrists and refuse to let her go.

"You wanna fight me, then fight me," Joey said as she released her wrists. "But you best face facts, the only people in this world who like you, are me, Henry and Judy."

"My brother..."

"Hates this version of you," Joey said. "And so does everyone else. Remember what Jessie did to you?"

"She will pay for that," Marissa said in a bitter hate filled voice. "Her and her boy dyke."

"You say that in front of Jessie and she will hurt you," Joey said. "Do you want someone to beat your ass? Cause she will."

"Anything would be better than this," Marissa said as she started to cry. "I hate you, I hate the way you made me feel and then TOOK IT ALL AWAY, YOU BITCH!"

"SCREAM AT ME THEN! Scream at me until your voice goes out, I got no other place on this earth to be."

"You hurt me so bad..."

"And you wouldn't even give me a chance to explain," Joey said.

"You're still in love with your ex, what in the living hell is there to explain, HUH?" Marissa asked as she finally took off her high heels and fired them into the street and clawed at her perfectly prim hair and one by one threw away the bows that lined it, Joey smiling as she watched this transformation. Her hair now in her face partially and her make-up smeared beyond repair, eye liner running in lines down her face. "What the hell are you smiling at?"

"You look hot!" Joey giggled as Marissa glared at her and then started to laugh. "The cute blond is back."

"I hate you," Marissa said.

"No you don't," Joey said. "You probably should but you don't."

"Is Judy made at me?"

"Yep," Joey said. "But she blames me for it."

"Really?"

"Uh huh," Joey said. "She really likes you. Henry said the place isn't the same without you."

"You're just trying to make me feel better so I'll stop being mad at you."

"You can be mad at me as long as you want," Joey said. "But cutting yourself off from the only people in your life that care about you is insane."

"You hurt me..."

"And you Marissa Ann Turner acted like a three year old," Joey said. "You owed me at least five minutes to let me explain."

"How do you know my middle name?"

"It's written on your bedroom wall," Joey said. "I saw it the night we knocked boots."

"Well, at least you were good in bed," Marissa said with a hands on hips 'top that' smile.

"I know, I was so good I screamed my own name," Joey fired back. Marissa rolled her eyes at the lameness of that comment.

"You wait on me so I can get dressed and maybe ride with you to school?" Marissa asked as Joey smiled.

"I feel sorry for her already," Passion said as she pushed Cori and as both giggled they began a poking tickle fight that sent both of them tumbling to the floor. Rick rolled his eyes as he came into the kitchen and watched Passion spring to her feet and then purposely pull Cori up too when her sister struggled to get back to her feet and ran off laughing.

"Sooo mean to me!" Cori said to Rick as she pointed to Passion down the hall. Rick simply smiled and kissed her forehead.

"And you're the perfect angel I bet?" Rick asked as Cori nodded and smiled. She hugged him tightly and said softly, "I love you even if you are on Passion's side."

"You always know the way straight to my heart," Rick said as Cori grinned widely. "My beautiful Cori. You know I love you."

"Dad!" Cori said simply as she smiled and walked off down the hall, seeing Passion now sitting by Lily on the couch with Marley sitting on Lily's lap with her head to Lily's expanded belly and listening intently. Marley grinned as she looked up and said, "I listen to da baby in Mommy's belly."

"Is he talking to you like Carl does?" Cori asked with a smirk as she sat down by Lily and pulled Marley into her lap.

"Well, of course not," Marley said as if that were a silly suggestion. Cori, Passion and Lily laughed. "Da baby is kicking Ms. Lily's tummy. Her gonna be mean."

"It's gonna be a her?" Lily asked.

"Uh huh and you gonna name her Marley!"

"We already got one more than we need," Cori said as Marley stuck out her tongue and made Cori laugh.

"You're gonna need plenty of help when you have the baby?" Passion asked as Lily nodded.

"I'm afraid so, good thing I have two strong girls," Lily said. "And I'm sure Sarah and Grace will be around as much as possible."

"Anything you need just ask," Passion said. "Right Cori?"

"Of course," Cori said as her and Marley made faces at each other. "You wanna ask Mom about school?"

"Cori, that was private," Passion said as Cori looked up.

"Why? You didn't say that," Cori said. "I didn't know."

"It's ok, I should have told you," Passion said with a tired sounding deep breath.

"Huh?" Cori asked as she looked up from her giggling fight with Marley. "What?"

"You can start school with me," Passion said. "It'll be fun."

"Now Pash, I don't know about that," Lily said as Rick came into the room.

"Don't know about what?" Rick asked as he came into the room.

"They want me to go back to school," Cori said as she set Marley down and got up and hugged Rick. Marley turned on the TV and payed no one else any attention as she watched SpongeBob. "Tell them I don't have to."

"Cori no one said you had to," Lily said.

"I think it's time," Rick said as Cori gave him a dirty look and stepped away.

"Now she's gonna pout," Passion said as she got up and poked her sister in the side and made Cori laugh and jump away.

"Stop, I don't wanna go to school!" Cori said.

"Why not Cori?"

"Because everybody else remembers me and I don't, well... not much," Cori said. "I'm already tired of explaining to people that I don't remember them."

"Doorbell," Passion said as she hugged Cori and found her sister was scared. She touched her forehead to Cori's and asked as Rick answered the door, "You ok?"

"I'll be scared too," Passion said.

"You will?"

"I need you there," Passion said.

"Pash I don't..."

"Please just for a few days?" Passion asked as Cori sighed deeply in frustration. "I'll make them give me the same classes. It'll be just like here at home."

"No!" Cori said in a stubborn voice.

"Yes," Passion said. "You are going too cause I said so."

"No, I'm not," Cori demanded.

"Piker," Passion said, confusing Cori until she remembered the book Joey had bought her on New Zealand.

"I am not a piker," Cori said as Passion grinned and nodded her head. "Ok, I am, but I don't wanna be."

"Hi everyone," Cammy said from the door as Cori smiled.

"Do you like going to school here?" Passion asked Cammy.

"I'm actually starting tommorrow, terrified," Cammy said. "Why?"

"I am too, well if Rick and Lily let me," Passion said. Rick and Lily nodded as Passion and Cammy grinned excitedly. "We can be besties."

"I wanna be a bestie, hey I am your bestie," Cori said.

"Then you gotta come with us," Passion said.

"You thinking about going back to school?" Cammy asked Cori.

"I guess so," Cori said. "Being forced to. But I'm going..."

"You haven't seen me force you to do anything, yet," Rick said as he confronted Cori.

"Bite me old man," Cori said. Then squealed as Rick grabbed her and started tickling her, playfully biting at her neck as Cori struggled against him and finally screamed for help. "Dad!, Stop, oh no! HELP MOM!"

"Don't tell him to you bite again," Lily said as she laughed. Rick finally stopping and simply hugging Cori protectively as she looked up at him.

"It's time Cori," Rick said a few moments later. Cori looked up at him and thought for a long moment.

"I know," Cori said simply.

"Oh no, oh my, oh no," Lily said as all attention turned back to her as a wet stain was clearly forming on her stretch pants as she held her hands up. Rick ran to his wife's side and pulled her to her feet. A large gush came out then as Cori watched in shock, as did Passion and Cammy. "I think my water just broke."

"Oh boy, I'm no good in these situations," Rick said in an uncharacteristically panic filled moment. "OK, I can do this, what do I do first?"

"The baby is coming?" Cori asked as she instinctively rushed to Lily's side and hugged her. "The baby's on the way for real?"

"Yesss Cori, ohmigod yesss," Lily said in a panic.

"Mommy have baby?" Marley asked as she finally looked up from her tv show.

"It looks that way Mar-bear," Passion said as she lifted Marley into her arms and hugged her.

"OH boy, Mommy have baby!"

"Has anyone packed an overnight bag for the hospital?" Cammy asked in a calm voice as she seemingly took control of the situation.

"In the hall closet," Rick said without thinking.

"You get that and get the car started and we'll make sure Lily is ok," Cammy said as Rick ran off to the closet in a complete panic. First fumbling with the closet door and cussing at it for good measure when it wouldn't come open. Cammy and Passion (with Marley in her other arm) helped Lily to the door, her with an arm over each girl's shoulder as she watched her panicked husband with a smile. Rick finally succeeded in getting the door open and finding no bag.

"Tell him when he's done, it's in the upstairs closet just like I told him four months ago," Lily said to Cori as she laughed.

"Dad!" Cori said as Rick emerged from the closet with a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. "It's upstairs. Mom said to tell you."

"And I know she told me that, oh lord..." Rick said as he passed by Cori and went thundering up the steps and to the hall closet, where the overnight bag sat as Lily had said. Rick was still grumbling as he came back down the steps, "...I'm gonna be such a horrible father to this kid. I'll probably lose it and we'll have to order a new one."

"Since when can order kids?" Cori asked as Rick laughed and took a deep breath.

"I'm OK now," Rick said. "What do you say we go to the hospital to have you a new little sister or brother?"

"I'm there for you, Dad," Cori said with a huge smile. "And I won't be a huge problem, I'll go to school like you want."

"That's my sweet Cori," Rick said as he kissed her forehead. "So to the hospital we go, you wanna drive?"

"Funny, Dad!" Cori said as they left and locked up the front door, Lily already in the front seat and Passion putting on her seat belt as Cammy watched. Mandy's car pulled up, on cue, and parked on the edge of the grass as her and ZoŽ, then Jessie and Stephanie climbed out. The news sent everyone into a giggling fit as they made sure to wish Lily best of luck.

"You're coming with us, I need someone who's calm and collected," Rick said to Cammy as she grinned and nodded. "Call your Mom and Dad from the hospital?"

"You know it," Cammy said excitedly. Lily patiently explained to Marley why she couldn't go and Passion handed her off to Stephanie as Rick, Lily, Passion, Cammy and Cori left a few moments later for the hospital.

"I wanna go see da baby," Marley whined.

"WOW!" ZoŽ said as she watched the car drive off. "I got a new sister or brother coming."

"I do too," Jessie said as her and ZoŽ squealed as they hugged.

"How about we go and fix some sundaes?" Stephanie asked Marley.

"But da baby," Marley said as she pointed.

"Will be home really soon," Stephanie said.

"Yeh Mar-bear, baby is gonna need you to show her a lot of stuff," Mandy said.

"Like what Manda?" Marley asked as she crossed into Mandy's arms.

"Everything, she's a baby," Mandy said. "Lily's gonna need you to do a lot of stuff."

"Yep," Stephanie agreed as she shot Mandy a thumbs up.

"We better get inside by the phone," ZoŽ said. "Mom and Rick could call anytime."

"Here come the lovebirds," Stephanie said as Grace and Sarah's car appeared on the horizon. "I'll relay the news, I'm sure they'll be headed to the hospital."

"Don't even bother getting out, Lily's having the baby," Stephanie said the moment they had pulled into the driveway.

"Holy shit knobs," Sarah said in shock.

"They're headed to the hospital right now," Stephanie said and relayed the info that she knew. "Lily's gonna need someone to go back with her I bet and you gotta be eighteen."

"We're on our way," Grace said as her and Sarah pulled out and zoomed off towards the hospital.

"You're happy to see me?" Marissa asked in shock as Judy hugged her. Joey noticed a completely empty waiting room next door at 'Step By Step'. Henry came through the semi-circle and smiled as he spotted her too.

"Yes, and if you ever run off like that again, you're fired," Judy said. "You... you have people here who care about you."

"I'm sooo sorry," Marissa said.

"Don't let it happen again slacker," Joey said with a playful push.

"You're the reason..." Marissa said and then clamming up as she simply smiled. "Point taken."

"You two back together, I hope?" Henry asked.

"Nope," Marissa said. "But I'm open to it."

"We're gonna... see how things go," Joey said. "Is that cool?"

"As long as you're getting along," Judy said. "Everyone to work please?"

"No, something is... perfect," Henry said as he kissed Judy. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"UMMMMM... I think so," Judy said, Joey and Marissa squealing as they watched Henry drop down to one knee and fish a ring box out of his jeans pocket and show it to Judy. "You better not... Henry Higgins... Oh wow..."

"Judy Brooks, I love you more than you know," Henry said. "Karen broke my heart so bad that I didn't think I'd ever get back on track. But thanks to you, and this shop, and Joey..."

"What about the cute blond?" Joey asked as Marissa giggled.

"Her too," Henry said as a giggle rippled through the foursome. Henry went on, "You've healed my heart with your tender spirit and longing to be loved by someone who is completely devoted to you. I will be... if you will consent to be my bride."

"Say yesss," Joey said in a panic when Judy froze and simply stared in shock down at Henry.

"Yesss, yesss, ohmigod, YESSSSSSSS!" Judy screamed as tears of joy streamed down her face and she jumped into Henry's arms as he rose. "I love you too, you're so nuts, I love you, but you're nuts. Talk about coming out of left field."

"Not at all," Henry said. "I wanted Joey and Marissa to be here."

"Congratulations," Joey squealed and she hugged Judy.

"Congrats," Marissa said as she smiled at Henry. "Ro...man...tic."

"Thank you," Henry said as he hugged Marissa.

"The ring," Joey said as Henry popped open the box and moments later, slid it on Judy's finger. A kiss for the ages followed. Joey hugged Marissa and feelt for some reason that all of this, in some way, had come about because of her. "WOW!"

"What does this mean for you and Judy living together?"

"Good question," Joey said as Judy and Henry looked up. "What does this mean for me?"

"You move in with us if we get married soon," Henry said, Judy nodding her agreement. "But I'm hoping for a long engagement so we can plan every thing out, Lily and Rick can help plan the wedding and all."

"I love you guys," Joey said as she hugged both of them.

"OK, everyone calm down," Henry said as he now held a, giddy with joy, Judy in his arms as he sat down on one of the stools by the book shelf. "That's actually not all I have to announce."

"Huh? I can't take anymore surprises," Judy said in protest.

"We talked about this," Henry said. "Plans for the store?"

"Yeh... but..."

"I'm closing my therapy practice," Henry announced.

"Why? You helped so many people," Marissa asked.

"Because of you guys and most importantly, Judy," Henry said.

"I don't understand, I don't want you to give that up," Judy said.

"It's too physically demanding and I'm about to turn forty," Henry said as everyone listened. "I wanna spend my days and my nights with you, not my patients."

"Well... unless things go bad again we can do pretty good with just the store," Judy said.

"We can and if we expand into the space next door we could do even better," Henry said, Judy now smiling. "Exactly."

"Could we set up tables and sell coffee and stuff?" Marissa asked. "Maybe some more computers?"

"The cute blond is gonna be a demon on Wall Street one day," Joey said as Marissa grinned, surprising everyone when she kissed Joey.

"You earned that one, Larue," Marissa said as her and Joey hugged.

"Tables in the waiting area, more computers, some sandwiches and coffee," Henry said. "Some magazines or periodicals too, stuff we don't have room for right now."

"New revenue streams are always important," Marissa said. Then getting a flash of brilliance as she bounced, literally, over to Henry and said with breathless excitement, "My Uncle Carmine in New Jersey has a sandwich company and they are to die to for. I'll bet they'd go over like gangbusters here."

"Uncle Carmine? Gangbusters? Is he in the mob?" Joey asked. No one laughed as Marissa gave a borderline evil look. Joey grinned as she pretended to hold up a microphone and tapping it as she said, "Is this thing on?"

"Yeh, how 'bout unplugging it?" Henry asked as everyone laughed. "And that sounds like a great plan Marissa."

"We could sell them at cost and get people hooked on them and raise the price after a bit?" Marissa asked. "Not by much though, cause, well, most of the people who come in are college students."

"You've got a head for business young lady," Judy said as Marissa's smile beamed. "So how long till we can do this?"

"Well... I can call my buddies down at Fourth Street Construction and have them tear out the old space and it could be ready in a few weeks" Henry said.

"What about your patients?"

"The last ones left a few minutes ago, I referred them to friends of mine," Henry said. "Some weren't very happy."

"Don't blame them," Joey said. "Henry Higgins is a good therapist."

** ** ** Meanwhile @ Sammler-Manning Manor

"Move behind her ZoŽ and hold her in your arms," Stephanie said as she clicked a few times on her camera. Jessie watched from the couch as ZoŽ hugged Mandy from behind proudly and both smiled into the camera. "Kiss her neck and look into the camera now. Give me a shocked look Mandy. So perfect, you guys are hot together."

"Get them in a 69," Jessie giggled as ZoŽ and Mandy shot her a dirty look.

"No comments from the peanuts gallery, girlfriend," Stephanie said seriously. Grace and Sarah arrived back by the edge of the living room with Marley now asleep on Sarah's shoulder. "This is serious."

"That wasn't it and we both know it, I wanna hear what you got to say," Jessie demanded.

"Jessie, drop it," Stephanie said.

"No, big mouth know it all has something to say and I wanna hear it," Jessie said.

"Let's go, ZoŽ, come on, let's go for a walk," Mandy said as she took ZoŽ's hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Fine just runaway," Jessie said.

"YOU ARE A BITCH!" ZoŽ screamed as she jerked her hand away from Mandy's, Jessie looking back in shock. "You screw up every good thing you have in your life."

"What?" Jessie asked.

"Katie? Katie Singer?" ZoŽ asked. Jessie looked at her in confusion. "You screwed the pooch on that because you wanted to go running around with Sarah."

"Who told you that?" Jessie asked. "Like I need to ask. What the hell business is it of yours? Katie and me are over."

"And she still misses being with you," ZoŽ said as the room filled with shock. "But you've both moved on and all."

"WOW!" Jessie said in complete shock.

"Does she want her back?" Stephanie asked.

"No," ZoŽ said. "She's glad it's over."

"Go to hell, sister," Jessie said. "I was not that bad to her."

"You neglected her," ZoŽ said. "And then you... she just deserved so much better. And so does Steph."

"ZoŽ, Jessie's been good to me," Stephanie said. "It's ok."

"You think you're gonna do her the same way you're dead wrong," ZoŽ said despite Stephanie's reassuring words. "I will bust your ass the first time you try it."

"ZoŽ, shut up," Stephanie said as she pulled ZoŽ back as Sarah, Grace and Mandy watched helplessly, Marley raising and watching with a worried look. Stephanie finally resorted to pulling ZoŽ away with an arm around her waist with her camera in the other hand.

"Kiss my tanned ass," Jessie said to ZoŽ.

"Kiss my ass too, you bitch," ZoŽ screamed. Jessie's anger boiled over as she stormed towards her step-sister and in a moment everyone would remember forever, ZoŽ squealed as her and Jessie tangled, Stephanie slipping on the rug under her and ZoŽ. Jessie pushed ZoŽ away and sent her and Stephanie to the floor as she stormed off in anger. Stephanie clutched onto ZoŽ and let her camera go as it smashed to the floor. ZoŽ landing on top of Stephanie in a heap. "OWWWWWWWWW!"

"Oh god, what the fuck was that?" Stephanie asked as Mandy ran to her girlfriend's side.

"Hey your camera works," ZoŽ said after a beep was heard and she looked down to see the camera come back to life, breaking the goofy moment as Stephanie smiled and clicked on the review button and started cycling through the pics. Going through the ones she'd taken of ZoŽ and Mandy and to the ones she'd taken of Jessie long ago as ZoŽ watched and giggled. All action stopped a moment later when a shocking picture came across the screen. A picture of Stephanie out by the cove in West Lafayette with nothing on... but a tan. ZoŽ's eyes went wide in shock, "Holy shit."

"What?" Stephanie asked with a wicked grin. Making ZoŽ think Steph had shown her that picture on purpose.

"You're naked," ZoŽ hissed as she covered the camera up.

"I'm proud of my body," Stephanie said as she brought the camera up and purposely showed it to ZoŽ again. "Now I'm hot too, right?"

"I would sooo give you some," ZoŽ said as Stephanie laughed and smiled smugly.

"How about we start with a kiss?" Stephanie asked as she puckered her lips out.

"Skank," ZoŽ said as her and Stephanie fell against each other laughing as Jessie came back in and saw the two now laughing.

"I'm sorry?" Jessie asked softly.

"Me too," ZoŽ said as she hugged her step-sister. Jessie glanced at Stephanie's camera and looked in shock at the picture.

"You showed her that?" Jessie asked her girlfriend.

"Chill, I was just goofin," Stephanie said. "And we now know our ZoŽ likes girls for sure."

"Do we now?" Jessie asked as ZoŽ groaned.

"Shut up!"

"Said she'd sooo give me some," Stephanie giggled as Mandy came back into the room.

"ZoŽ?" Jessie asked in a mocking voice.

"Screw you," ZoŽ said as she blushed a hundred million different colors and walked off as Jessie and Stephanie laughed out loud.

"Wait, ZoŽ," Mandy said as she stopped her by the door. "Are we talking foursome here? Cause I don't know about Jessie, but I'd love to get some of her."

"Any time... Amanda," Jessie said as they shared a horny smile.

"Fine, you wanna play the sexual banter game?" ZoŽ asked as everyone laughed. "Steph said I was hot as fuck."

"You did?" Jessie asked her girlfriend.

"Well yeah," Stephanie said. "Look at her."

"I think we better keep an eye on these two," Jessie said as Mandy laughed and agreed.